


There Is No Answer (But Eleanor Is The Answer)

by fairytalesandfolklore



Series: The Good Place [3]
Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag: S4E9 The Answer, F/M, S4E9: The Answer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:33:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21730870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairytalesandfolklore/pseuds/fairytalesandfolklore
Summary: “Not that I’m complaining in the slightest,” Eleanor laughs, a little breathless. “But what exactly changed your mind?”Chidi looks at her like she’s the sun after a thunderstorm, a radiant smile lighting up his every feature as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer.“I took a second to think about it,” he says simply. “And what I decided I want is you.”
Relationships: Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop
Series: The Good Place [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577470
Comments: 6
Kudos: 76





	There Is No Answer (But Eleanor Is The Answer)

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fan fiction inspired by The Good Place. Specifically, a scene from Season 04 x Episode 09: The Answer. Respective concepts, characters, and settings from the original source content belong to their creator(s). No copyright infringement is intended.  
>   
>  **Author's Note: whovianmuse → fairytalesandfolklore**

**• • •**

In the center of the neighborhood, nestled in between an antique book store and a cozy café, a charming little clock tower chimes twice in a delicate trill, as two figures make their way down a quiet, narrow lane lined with a mismatched mosaic of cobbled stone, lit by glowing golden lanterns set into wrought iron and suspended from each building's facade.

Bouquets, bushes, and branches bursting with a colorful collection of spring and summer flowers brighten every corner shop, complete with a magnificent floral arch woven with the finest never-wilting wisteria, while in the distance, a symphony of crickets, tree frogs, and night owls serenades its residents into a peaceful slumber.

"Now, I know we're in heaven," Chidi remarks with a lighthearted chuckle. "And that technically, _everything_ here is supposed to be beautiful and perfect…but there's something a little _extra_ exceptional about the neighborhood after hours, don't you think?"

"Ehh, it's alright," Eleanor quips, secretly thinking that she much prefers the view of her company, rather than the scenery. "I'm not so jazzed about that clam chowder fountain, though."

"Yes, that _is_ a puzzling centerpiece, now that you mention it," Chidi concedes, casting a quizzical look over his shoulder at the opulent fountain lit up in a sapphire glow. "Especially since they chose New England over Manhattan."

"Honestly, _both_ are gross," Eleanor laughs, casually bumping shoulders with him, and positively beaming when he playfully nudges her back.

"You know, it's funny. When we started three months ago, I never thought I'd get so into philosophy that we'd study past midnight," she says, coming to an abrupt halt in front of Chidi's apartment, eyes skating over the colorful assortment of bricks painted in bold bursts of citrus, framing the earthy emerald green of his front door. It's an odd combination of colors, but Eleanor finds that it makes her feel happy. Bright like summer sunshine. Bright like Chidi's smile. 

She wonders idly if the inside of Chidi's apartment has been decorated with a similar theme, but highly doubts she'll ever get the chance to find out, no matter how much time the two of them have been spending together. 

Which is to say, nearly every day, from noon until midnight, for the past three months, ever since that fateful couples' game night when Tahani paired them up for charades after Chidi's soulmate ditched. 

Speaking of which—

"Esmerelda must be wondering where her soulmate is," Eleanor says, the tiniest ounce of guilt creeping up the back of her neck as she fiddles with the sleeves of her shirt.

"Ah, no, she's off in her aviary," Chidi replies, heaving a sigh that masquerades as a chuckle.

"You know, sometimes I think that her ravens are her _real_ soulmate," he jests, and though he tries to pass it off with a laugh, the exasperated look in his wide-eyed expression makes it clear that he's genuinely vexed by it.

"Actually, you should see her with them," he adds, in what he hopes is an off-hand, casual tone. "It's intense…and, if I'm being honest, _sexually charged_."

Chidi blinks several times as the terrifying memory replays in his mind's eye. He shakes his head as if to clear it, but there isn't enough brain bleach in the world to make him forget what he'd witnessed. 

Eleanor's playful smile immediately drops, replaced with wide-eyed concern. For months now, she's been doing her damnedest to be supportive and sympathetic to Chidi's dissatisfaction with his soulmate, laughing along with him as he shares little anecdotes and makes jokes to mask his defeat over his failed attempts to connect with her. But no matter how hard he tries, it's obvious to Eleanor that Chidi just isn't happy with his soulmate. And if that's the case, then maybe, she thinks, maybe _now_ is her chance to finally tell him that—

"Anyway," Chidi says, a warm, affectionate smile brightening his features as he purges all thought of Esmerelda out of his mind and turns his attention back to Eleanor. "This has been fun, as always—"

She doesn't really think about it, she just _acts_. Before she's even fully aware of what she's doing, Eleanor has leaned forward and pressed her lips against Chidi's, swallowing the rest of his words with a kiss.

It lasts only seconds, and then she's pulling back to gauge his reaction, a mischievous smile curling across her lips, giddy laughter on the tip of her tongue. In that moment, Chidi forgets how to stand, how to think, how to breathe. He's so stunned, so caught off guard, that when Eleanor lets go, he nearly loses his balance and collides into her, not quite ready for the kiss to end as swiftly as it had.

"Uh…what was…why did you… _who_ was it?" Chidi asks, stumbling over a string of words that had started off as complete sentences inside his head, and turned into absolute nonsense the moment they'd tumbled out of his mouth. 

Despite his surprise and confusion, he can't seem to help the ridiculous smile that spreads across his face at the sight of her. Can't help but somewhat smugly think _I caused that_ as he watches a rosy blush blossom beneath the pulse points of her cheekbones and swim down the length of her neck. Chidi swallows thickly, trying desperately not to imagine what that might feel like beneath his lips.

"Okay, I'll take those one at a time, I guess," Eleanor giggles, bright blue eyes sparkling in the golden glow of the lanterns and the sea of silver stars above their heads. "It was a _kiss_. I did it because I _wanted_ to. And as far as _who_ it was, it was _me_ , you weirdo."

But it isn't an insult, isn't meant to wound, like most people usually intend whenever they name-call. Every time Eleanor does it, it's playful and affectionate. He never knew he could feel comfortable doing that with someone. Certainly more comfortable than he's _ever_ felt with—

Oh. Right.

"Eleanor, I…I have a soulmate," Chidi sighs. 

With a sudden jolt of paranoia, he glances up toward the window of his apartment, half expecting to find Esmerelda perched atop the roof alongside her many scowling ravens, plotting his…well, he couldn't possibly die _again_ , could he? He's not entirely sure, but he feels like if anyone could make it happen, it's Esmerelda. _Goodness_ , his soulmate is scary.

"Yeah, and you're not into her _at all_ ," Eleanor retorts. "I mean, _come on_ , there's no way you're supposed to spend _eternity_ with a woman who sleeps in a giant nest."

_You deserve so much better_ , she doesn't say aloud. And yeah, maybe Eleanor doesn't know if _she_ qualifies as _better_ , per se, but _motherforker_ , at least she actually _likes_ Chidi, which is more than she can say for his supposed _soulmate_. In fact, as crazy as it sounds, sometimes, Eleanor thinks she might even be falling in lo—

"Look, I know that she and I are in a bit of a rough patch, but we just have to find the _answer_ for how to get out of it," Chidi insists. "Like my parents. You remember that story I told you about my parents."

It sounds ridiculous even to his own ears, but he has to at least _try_. And sure, technically, his parents already _had_ a strong foundation of love, and genuinely _wanted_ to be with each other, but _hey_ , the universe must have paired him up with Esmerelda for a reason, right? He just has to try _harder_ to make it work. And then…then maybe he can finally be happy. 

"Yeah, look, I don't think that story is as cute as you think it is," Eleanor winces. She looks skeptical, looks at Chidi like he's a train wreck in slow motion, and she's just trying to signal to him to stop before he crashes.

Chidi's brow furrows, and he's overcome with a sudden urge to explain himself, to defend the significance of what he still considers, to this day, his greatest achievement. _That story_ , the fact that he was able to fix something so special and so important with a solid argument of logic and data, was the very thing that set his entire career into motion. He based his entire worldview around that story, how could Eleanor just—

"I mean, I'm sure _you_ were cute. Big melon head, and a little necktie," Eleanor amends with a playful chuckle, noting the subtle shift in his expression that means she'd clearly struck a nerve.

"But that _moment_. I mean, _woof_. That's too much to put on an eight-year-old," she says, and the thought of him, so young and vulnerable, so stressed out all the time, makes her _ache_. " _I_ kind of wish that cute little Chidi just got to be a kid, rather than a miniature professor trying to solve all the world's problems."

"Well, but…" Chidi falters, momentarily blindsided. All his life, he'd always put so much pressure on himself to _do better_ and _be better_ , and here Eleanor is, insisting that he'd done _too much_. 

"But living that way led me to philosophy," he says. 

_And then philosophy led me to you_ , his mind unhelpfully supplies. 

"And sure, I was written up in a medical journal as the youngest person ever with a stress-induced ulcer…but I got into the Good Place!" he reasons, like _that_ somehow makes it _okay_.

Eleanor's eyes grow wide as she tries to process _that_ horrific reveal, but then she simply shakes her head, and with a smile, thinks, _Yeah, sounds about right. That's my Chidi_.

"So, if you don't mind, I'm going to take a second to think about what I owe my _universe-approved soulmate,_ and not just…uh… _make out with you_ ," Chidi says softly, his heart skyrocketing into his throat as he stumbles over that very last part, trying his damnedest to reign in a ridiculous smile at the thought of it, imagining what Eleanor's lips might feel like pressed against his own, the taste of her tongue between his teeth, the rumble of her laughter against his chest as he holds her close.

Eleanor looks… _disappointed_ , but keeps it tied together with a smile. She's respectful, and composed, and…if he's being perfectly honest, _quite_ different from the kind of person he'd _expected_ her to be when he'd first met her three months prior.

"Okay, man," she concedes with a bittersweet sigh. She puts her hands up in mock surrender, and Chidi can't help but notice how exceptionally _tiny_ she looks in her oversized sweatshirt, completely encasing her hands in its bright pink sleeves. She's positively _swimming_ in it, and the effect is, admittedly, _adorable_. He imagines that's probably how she'd look wearing one of _his_ shirts, if—

Nope.

Can't do that.

There he goes, letting his mind wander into dangerous territory again.

"Kiss rescinded," Eleanor promises, and Chidi's heart nearly splits in two. "We'll just study philosophy, like two platonic nerds, until Michael discovers me, or until Esmeralda turns me into a toad with her magic amulet, because she can see that we're obviously into each other."

She means it as a joke, Chidi knows, but the truth it brings with it is _unbearable_. Oh, how he wishes she was wrong. Wishes he wasn't secretly harboring all of these inappropriate feelings for—

Actually, no. If he's wishing for things, what Chidi _really_ wishes (and he's surprised at himself for thinking this) is that the universe _hadn't_ chosen a pre-approved soulmate for him, but rather that _he_ got to choose who he wanted to spend the rest of eternity with, and that _they_ got the chance to choose _him_ in return. 

Esmerelda is a perfectly…um… _fine_ person… _probably_ , once you get to know her…but she's just not…she's just not the one he wants. And given the way she acts around him, he's _clearly_ not the one that _she_ wants, either. He wasn't kidding, sometimes Chidi genuinely believes that Esmerelda would happier with her ravens.

_Son of a bench_ , this is cruel. The one time he actually knows what he wants, can actually make a definitive choice about something big and important, and he's stuck with what's already been decided _for_ him. Locked into an eternity with someone else. Someone he doesn't want. This is supposed to be paradise, and yet, the one thing he wants most in the universe is standing right in front of him, telling him that she wants him, too, and he—

He just can't—

If only he could bring himself to—

His eyes lock onto Eleanor's, and suddenly, he's lost, swept up in the waves of her ocean eyes. A bittersweet, hopeful smile twitches at the corner of her lips, and in that moment, Chidi finds himself drawn to it, wanting nothing more than to make it bloom.

In a surprising turn of events that shocks even Chidi himself, he surges forward, closing the infinitesimal space between them, and kisses her. Perhaps with a little more zeal than he'd _meant_ to, trembling ball of nerves and adrenaline that he is, but after the initial moment of shock wears off, it's clear that Eleanor is _into it_.

"Not that I'm complaining _in the slightest_ ," Eleanor laughs, a little breathless. "But what exactly changed your mind?"

Chidi looks at her like she's the sun after a thunderstorm, a radiant smile lighting up his every feature as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close.

"I took a second to think about it," he says simply. "And what I decided I want is _you_."

Eleanor bites her lower lip to keep a big, goofy grin from forming, and Chidi can't help but laugh, convinced it's simultaneously the hottest and most adorable thing he's ever seen. With a devilish smirk, Eleanor tugs him back toward her by the collar of his pale blue button-down, lacing her arms around his shoulders and carding her hands through his hair.

Gently revolving them on the spot like a pirouette in a waltz, Chidi presses Eleanor up against the door of his apartment building, eliciting a burst of delighted laughter that quickly evolves into a breathless moan as Chidi covers every inch of her neck and shoulders in fervent kisses. 

Eleanor responds in kind, grinding her hips against him, reveling in the muffled groan it ignites at the base of his throat as he buries his face into the curves of her neck, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she shifts against him, feeling the rapidly growing hardness of him pressed against the inside of her thigh. 

Desperate for the privacy and comfort of his home, Chidi's hands frantically fumble for the door handle, and within seconds, they're stumbling inside, mapping their way through a series of winding corridors and up a flight of narrow stairs, until finally, they're barreling through the front door to Chidi's apartment. 

They're a whirlwind of tangled limbs and breathless laughter, knocking portraits and statues off their pedestals along the walls and shelves that line his living room, but Chidi finds he hardly cares, far too caught up in the thrill of simply _being_ with her.

"Too many clothes," Eleanor whines, tugging at the collar of his shirt, impatiently tearing through a sequence of little white buttons until it's hanging loosely off his shoulders. Eleanor arches an eyebrow in surprise, hands tentatively reaching out and splaying across the canvas of his chest. She glances up at him, an appreciative smile curling across her lips that makes a blush burn beneath the apples of his cheeks.

Ever so gently, he lifts her by the hips, his arms cradling her backside as she wraps her legs around his waist, and carries her, guiding them through the shadow-swept living room, lit only by the golden glow of the lanterns and the silver moonlight shining through his window. He means to lead her to the bedroom, but he stumbles in the dark, kneecaps colliding with one of the legs of his massive, mahogany work desk. 

It's an absolute gorgeous piece of craftsmanship, lavish and pristine, teeming with a marvelous array of secret drawers and storage space, an absolute dream come true to a well organized mind. And Chidi had tidied it to perfection, all 3,600 pages of his half-finished thesis stacked in the center, not a leaf out of place, brightly colored post-its detailing revisions and inspiring new ideas, fountains pens arranged in various wooden holders by color and width of nib. 

Without thinking or remotely caring, Chidi clears the carefully crafted contents of his desk with a single swipe of his arm, scattering fountain pens, papers, and post-its to the floor with a resounding crash _._

" _Professor!_ " Eleanor teases with a theatrical gasp, a mischievous smile curling across her lips. Chidi merely chuckles and rolls his eyes, a furious blush prickling at the back of his neck as he swallows her laughter in another kiss, before gently placing her atop the polished wooden surface of the desk, and immediately dipping down into a kneeling position. Slowly, torturously, Chidi frees her of her jeans, until she's left in nothing but her oversized sweatshirt, its hem just barely grazing her thighs.

Chidi's breath hitches in his throat as he takes in the sight of her, hair a wild mess of golden waves spilling out across the curves of her collarbones, oversized sweatshirt loose at the collar, slipping down on one side and exposing her bare shoulder. She's a whirlwind of beauty and intoxicating aromas: coconut and vanilla, with a hint of honey and a twist of peppermint, a subtle blend of fragrances brought to life by the pulse points on her wrists and neck.

Now it's Eleanor's turn to be rendered breathless, as Chidi presses a series of kisses along her calves, slowly making his way to the apex of her thighs.

" _Can I?_ " Chidi asks, his voice like caramel wrapped in whiskey, sending shivers down the length of her spine. Eleanor nods vigorously, all manner of coherent thought slipping from her mind as Chidi settles between her thighs and does positively _sinful_ things with his tongue that make Eleanor _very_ appreciative of the fact that he's multilingual. 

Delirious and incoherent, Eleanor gasps, " _Bedroom. Now_ ," and allows him to whisk her away, carrying her bridal style across the threshold of his room. Chidi's bedroom is bright, warm, and inviting, adorned in muted earthy greens and warm golden yellows, in faux leather armchairs and cozy little reading nooks, and at its heart, a luxurious queen-sized bed, swathed in a plush collection of comforters and pillows.

Once all the blood has rushed back into her legs, and she no longer feels like she's going to fall over, Eleanor coaxes Chidi down onto the mattress, tilting him backward with a gentle press of her fingertips until he's lying flat on his back, watching with a dazed sort of wonder as Eleanor prowls up the length of him, frees him from the confines of his clothes, and takes him into her mouth. 

Chidi grips the sheets, starstruck at the feel of her lips wrapped around him in a delicate swirl of silk and fire, the vibrations of her self-satisfied chuckle amplified against him as she maps his every curve with the tip of her tongue. 

She brings him to the very edge, disengaging before he can come undone completely, and Chidi groans at the sudden loss of contact. In an instant, she's settled atop his thighs, positioning herself _just so_ until she's hovering teasingly above him. Twin sighs spill from both their lips as Eleanor sinks slowly down onto the length of him, and Chidi can't help but marvel at the way she moves above him, calling out her name in a cascade of euphoric moans. 

He reaches down between them as if on instinct, but then pauses, asking her if it's okay for him to touch her. Eleanor nods enthusiastically, amazed at how he seems to just intrinsically _know_ exactly what she needs before she even has to ask, knows exactly how she likes to be touched, keeping perfect pace and rhythm until she's coming undone for a second time, his name a blissful moan on the tip of her tongue.

"Allow me?" Chidi asks, a burst of confidence blossoming inside his chest. Gently cradling the small of her waist in the palm of his hand, Chidi proceeds to flip them over in one swift, fluid motion, settling his hips between the curves of her thighs. He moves slowly, languidly, fingers laced in between her own as he presses their entwined hands into the mattress, capturing her lips in a series of dulcet kisses, and pouring every ounce of affection and longing into their gentle embrace. 

Eleanor's eyes flutter closed as she nuzzles against his forehead, reveling in the weight of his chest pressed against her own, in the thunderstruck thrum of his heart as it matches hers beat for beat, both of them burning every detail of this night into their memories as they unravel together, silently swearing that it's the most beautiful sight either of them has ever seen.

**• • •**

Several hours later, Chidi lies awake, watching the gentle rise and fall of Eleanor's chest as she drifts into a peaceful slumber, the tousled tangles of her hair splayed out across his torso like a golden wildfire as she snuggles into the crook of his shoulder. He reaches down to gently smooth them back, tucking a stray lock behind her ear, face aching from a smile that, for the past three months, had become something of a permanent fixture. 

It _should_ feel wrong, what they've just done, but it doesn't. In fact, it feels like they've done this all before, every touch born out of muscle memory.

Maybe, this one time, the _universe_ is wrong.

Maybe _Eleanor_ is his soulmate. 

Or maybe soulmates don't actually exist, and it's all about making the choice to actively _choose_ each other, over and over again, every moment of every day.

Chidi honestly doesn't know, and for once, the idea of _not knowing_ doesn't scare him. The only thing he knows for certain, he muses as he settles in to fall asleep beside Eleanor, is that he wants _this_.

**• • •**


End file.
